Burmese opposition criticises UN envoy

In Burma, the opposition National League for Democracy (NLD) has criticised the visiting United Nations human rights envoy, Paulo Sergio Pinheiro.

An NLD spokesman, U Lwin, told the BBC that Mr Pinheiro was not spending enough time consulting local communities.

He said Mr Pinheiro's schedule compared unfavourably with those of previous UN officials, who had spent more time talking to prisoners, opposition activists and ethnic minorities.

U Lwin said that a meeting with the central leadership of the NLD planned for Friday had been cancelled.

It is not known whether Mr Pinheiro's scheduled meeting with the opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi went ahead. Mr Pinheiro is now visiting the northern Shan state.

The Burmese authorities released five NLD prisoners on the day he arrived in the country.

After his first visit in April, Mr Pinheiro said there was room for cautious optimism about events currently unfolding in Burma.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service